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Conroy didn't broker betting deal: FreeTV

Claims that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy brokered a deal with the television industry to allow betting companies to continue spruiking live odds are incorrect, a television industry body says.

Fairfax Media reported on Wednesday that the minister personally set out a framework that would enable live odds betting to continue during sporting broadcasts.

But FreeTV, a body that lobbies for free-to-air television, said it and not the government developed the draft code, which reflects the position of its members.

Free TV said it had received more than 200 public submissions, and it was preparing the code for submission to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which will determine if it meets community standards before agreeing to register it.

"The minister and his department developed the principles which the broadcasting codes would need to apply to implement the Council of Australian Governments' decision," FreeTV said in a statement.

"These principles required industry to develop codes to reduce and control live odds promotions in sport and also required that the codes be enforced by ACMA."

But Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said Mr Conroy had put the interests of gambling giants above the Australian public by refusing to stop the blanket broadcasting of live odds and gambling advertising on commercial networks.

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"The public is sick and tired of having offers to punt shoved down their throats," he said in a statement.

"Just like the prime minister's backflip on meaningful poker machine reform, Minister Conroy has proven that this government cannot be trusted to put the interests of ordinary Australians above those of the multi-billion dollar gambling lobby."

Senator Xenophon said it was no surprise the South Australian government had opted this week to introduce its own measures to curb the promotion of live odds during sports telecasts.

"(It) will not be a silver bullet in addressing the pervasive promotion of gambling in sport, but it at least goes some real way to supporting the wishes of sports fans, and more importantly the welfare of children," the senator said.

He said there was still considerable scope for the federal government to introduce a blanket ban on gambling advertising during sports broadcasts.

"The government has been sitting on its hands for over two years on this issue (and) the parliament has the constitutional power to step in. It's time for it to step up," he said.

She said the Labor caucus had already been presented with a motion drafted by backbench MP Stephen Jones, and the matter was set down for future discussion.

"We've just finished a public consultation period for the form of the code to deal with all of this," Ms Gillard said of the FreeTV proposal, which has been developed in accordance with the government's communication department.

While she refused to "pre-judge" an outcome, the prime minister again made her personal opinion clear.

"I've made my attitude very clear to this ... it annoys me as someone who watches sporting events, that you get discussion about the odds. And it worries me too that kids when they're watching TV and watching sport aren't talking about the things we'd like them to be talking about ... but talking about the live odds."